Coleus plant named &#39;balaublach&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Coleus  plant named ‘Balaublach’, characterized by variegated foliage of varying amounts of green and grayed-purple, and vigorous, upright bushy growth habit.

LATIN NAME OF GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Solenostemon scutellarioides

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Balaublach’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coleusplant botanically known as Solenostemon scutellarioides and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Balaublach’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program carried outduring January 2002 at Cartago, Costa Rica. The objective of thebreeding program was the development of new Coleus cultivars with uniqueleaf shapes and coloration.

The female (seed) parent of the new Coleus was the Solenostemonscutellarioides variety ‘Ducksfoot’, not patented. The male (pollen)parent of the new variety was proprietary breeding selection 01Co8, notpatented. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by the inventoras a single plant within the progeny of the above statedcross-pollination during August 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar, by terminal stem cuttingssince 2002 in West Chicago, Ill., has demonstrated that the new cultivarreproduces true to type with all the characteristics, as hereindescribed, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations ofsuch asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Balaublach’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Coleus plant:

1. Variegated foliage of varying amounts of green and grayed-purplecolor.

2. Upright bushy form.

3. Vigorous growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in foliage shape and color and from the male parent primarilyin foliage color.

Of the Coleus cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar to thenew cultivar is ‘Balaustop’, not patented. However, in side by sidecomparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of‘Balaustop’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new cultivar have longer internodes than plants of‘Balaustop’.

2. Plants of the new cultivar have more red color in the foliage thanplants of ‘Balaustop’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, a typicalplant of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightlyfrom the color values cited in the detailed description, whichaccurately describe the colors of ‘Balaublach’. The plant was grown for7 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth habit of‘Balaublach’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single leaf of ‘Balaublach’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is theR.H.S Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2001 edition, except where color terms of ordinary significance areused. The color values were determined on Sep. 24, 2004 in West Chicago,Ill., between 10:00 and 11:45 a.m. under natural light conditions.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants producedfrom cuttings taken from stock plants and grown in a doublepolycarbonate-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to thoseused in commercial practice. The plants were grown at West Chicago, Ill.in 10 cm pots for 7 weeks while utilizing a soilless growth medium.Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 75° to 85° F.(24° to 29° C.) during the day and approximately 60° to 70° F. (15° to21° C.) during the night. Greenhouse light levels were maintained atapproximately 4,000 to 10,000 footcandles during the day.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Solenostemon scutellarioides cultivar            ‘Balaublach’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female (seed) parent.—‘Ducksfoot’, not patented.        -   Male (pollen) parent.—Proprietary breeding selection 01Co8,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 4 to 6 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 14 to 21            days.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.-   Plant description:    -   -   Growth habit.—Vigorous and freely branching.        -   Form.—Upright, bushy.        -   Crop time.—Five to seven weeks are required to produce            mature plant from rooted cuttings.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of foliage:            Approximately 23.4 cm. Width (area of spread): Approximately            37.5 cm.        -   Branch description.—Quantity: Approximately 6 per plant.            Strength: Strong. Shape: Square in cross section. Length:            Approximately 20.5 cm. Diameter: Approximately 6 mm.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A. Length of center internode:            Approximately 3.7 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Number of leaves per branch.—Approximately 19.        -   Fragrance.—Slight, spicy.        -   Form.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Aspect.—At right angle to stem.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Margin.—Lobed.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Size of mature leaves.—Length: Approximately 5 cm. Width:            Approximately 2.6 cm.        -   Texture.—Upper surface has moderate pubescence. Lower            surface has sparse pubescence with moderate pubescence along            veins.        -   Color of young and mature foliage.—Upper surface: Venation:            185A. Margin: 146A. Area along veins and mid-vein: 185B.            Between veins: 138B.        -   Color of young and mature foliage.—Lower surface: Venation:            154D. Margin: 146C. In center, on either side of mid-vein            and veins: 187A.        -   Petiole.—Length: 2.9 cm. Diameter: 1.5 mm. Texture of upper            surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture of lower surface:            Moderately pubescent. Color of upper and lower surface:            154D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Type and habit.—Single, zygomorphic, bilabiate flowers            arranged in verticillasters on terminal spikes.        -   Flowering season.—‘Balaupea’ produces flowers in late            spring.        -   Lastingness of bloom.—Approximately 3 to 4 days.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Spike.—Length: 8 cm. Diameter: Approximately 2.8 cm.            Approximately 11 verticillasters per spike. Quantity of open            flowers per verticillaster: 2-5.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Oblate. Length: Approximately 4 mm.            Diameter: Approximately 2 mm. Color: Closest to 76A.        -   Corolla.—Diameter: 4 mm. Length: 1.1 cm. Petal arrangement:            5 petals, 1 upper petal forming banner, 4 lower petals fused            to form keel. All 5 petals fused at base to form tube.            Banner — Length: 7 mm. Width: 2 mm. Apex: Rounded. Margin:            Entire. Texture of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower            surface: Pubescent. Color of upper surface: N89D. Color of            lower surface: Closest to N86D. Keel — Length: 3 mm. Width:            4 mm. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Color of upper surface:            N82D at apex, N155A at base. Color of lower surface: Closest            to 76A at apex, 155A at base.        -   Calyx.—1 calyx tube per flower, formed by 5 fused sepals.            Length: 3 mm. Diameter: 2 mm. Apex: Acute. Texture of upper            surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower surface: Pubescent.            Color of upper and lower surface of sepal: 144B with overlay            of 183A at tip.        -   Pedicels.—Strength: Moderate. Angle: Acute. Length:            Approximately 4 mm. Diameter: Approximately 0.5 mm. Texture:            Densely pubescent. Color: 144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: 4 stamens. Anther shape:            Oval. Anther length: Approximately 0.5 mm. Anther color:            N92B. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Pistil            quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil length: 8 mm. Stigma shape: 2            parted. Stigma length: Approximately 0.5 mm. Style length:            Approximately 6.5 mm. Style color: 155D. Ovary length:            Approximately 1 mm. Ovary color: 150D.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to diseases and pests common    to Coleus has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plant named ‘Balaublach’,substantially as herein shown and described.